ENGLISH MILITIA SPONTOON C.1795

Made for one of the private militias raised to support the King against Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars. Iron head with flared base and sharply angled leading edge on rectangular blade. Separate conical base ferrule and original wood haft. The hafts of all of these are hand shaped, not lathe turned, indicating manufacture on the original estate, including finishing over minor imperfections, under extreme pressure of war. The hafts with black wool tassel applied after the war when these were displayed as military trophies in the manor house of the militias patron. Numerous examples of weapon patterns unique to British militias exist including those at Thorseby Hall for the militia raised by the Pierreponts in 1802 and the pikes which armed the Strathspey Fencibiles in 1794-98. Militia sword pattern are so numerous that they have never been cataloged. 73 3/4 length. The haft slightly warped at the bottom from construction from unseasoned wood.